There are six teams still vying to join Premier League champions Liverpool in next season’s Champions League via a top-five finish, and just two games left to play
After a dramatic weekend of Premier League action, the battle for a top-five finish in the Premier League remains very much alive. Just six points separate second and seventh, and there are just six more points to play for as those six teams bid to join Liverpool in the Champions League.
The magic number this season is five, not four, with English teams’ progress in the three European competitions ensuring an extra team will qualify via their league finish. There will be a sixth Premier League side at Europe’s top table, with one of Manchester United and Tottenham poised to make it in depending on the result in the Europa League final, but that won’t take a spot away from those top five finishers.
A win fro Arsenal away at Liverpool could have guaranteed a Champions League return for the Gunners. They were only able to leave with a point, though, so it’s not quite done.
There was also a meeting between two of their closest contenders, with Newcastle hosting Chelsea. It was Eddie Howe’s side which came out on top, with Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes scoring more than 85 minutes apart to secure a 2-0 win.
Manchester City and Nottingham Forest both dropped points against already-relegated opponents to damage their own top-five hopes. That means Aston Villa, winners at Bournemouth on Saturday, remain very much in the picture.
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But who is in pole position and who has it all to do with two games to go? Mirror Football has taken a closer look at the teams in the mix.
Arsenal – 68 points
Arsenal’s second-half comeback against Liverpool will have offered encouragement after the painful Champions League exit. Any suggestion the Gunners wouldn’t be able to turn it back on in the league were put to bed by the way they responded to falling 2-0 behind at Anfield, though Mikel Merino’s one-game ban after his red card is a frustration.
Two more points in their last two games would make Champions League qualification mathematically certain, though they’ll also want to clinch second spot after allowing the chasing pack to catch up. They end their season against Newcastle (h) and Southampton (a), and probably shouldn’t be too worried about their former keeper Aaron Ramsdale denying them a top-five finish on the final day.
Newcastle United – 66 points
Three points against Chelsea isn’t quite enough to get Newcastle over the line, but it’s close. Eddie Howe’s team have timed their run brilliantly, taking 22 points from a possible 27 as they have reaped the benefits of having no European distractions this term.
With Arsenal (a) in the penultimate game, Howe’s team might still need to finish the job on the final day. That comes against an Everton (h) team with little to play for, though Fulham found out on Saturday that David Moyes’ men can’t be underestimated.
Manchester City – 65 points
City’s failure to break down Southampton was a surprise, but the return of Erling Haaland for the run-in ought to help. Pep Guardiola’s team still have their fate very much in their own hands, which hasn’t always been a guarantee this term.
With Bournemouth (h) and Fulham (a) on the horizon, City will have to contend with at least one team still chasing European qualification. If their rivals drop points, though, just one win from those games could yet be enough.
Chelsea – 63 points
Chelsea’s defeat at Newcastle was painful enough without the added setback of a red card for Nicolas Jackson. The striker will miss the last two games of the season through suspension, and Enzo Maresca’s side will need to find goals from elsewhere.
First up is a Manchester United (h) team with half an eye on the Europa League final, and on a dismal run of two points from seven games. If Chelsea fail to win that then their hopes may be over, but even a victory will leave them needing something on the final day against Nottingham Forest (a).
Aston Villa – 63 points
A 4-1 defeat at Crystal Palace in February left Aston Villa back in 10th, but they could yet clinch a Champions League spot thanks to a fine run of form since. The last eight games have brought seven wins, though a last-gasp defeat at Manchester City could yet prove to be decisive.
Unai Emery’s team close out the season against the two Europa League finalists, first Tottenham Hotspur (h) and then Manchester United (a). Both games are very winnable, and a return of 69 points could well be enough.
Nottingham Forest – 62 points
Forest may well live to regret their dropped points at home in recent weeks. They have picked up just one point from their three City Ground games against Everton, Brentford and Leicester to fall out of the top six for the first time since the turn of the year.
That return means no games are easy, but wins against West Ham (a) and Chelsea (h) would guarantee Europa League qualification. If others dropped points, it could still be enough for them to finish in the top five.
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